Well generally speaking full insurance will cover the actual cash value of a vehicle. Which often times is less then what is owed on the loan. The GAP coverage pays off the difference of what is owed and what you were payed out. You can buy GAP coverage from the dealer, the bank, or your insurance company so in each instance it might differ somewhat, but that is generally how it works.

To give an example. Say you bought your car for $30,000 and are on a 48 month loan for say $20,000 (because you paid $7,500 down and had a $2,500 trade in). After 1 year, you still owe $15,000, but because you have driven the **** out of the car, it is only worth $12,000. Without GAP insurance, you would have to pay off the extra $3,000 left on your loan. With GAP insurance, its covered. In this case, you wouldn't get a dime to purchase a new car. You would have to start all over again.

Insurance pretty much always pays actual cash value(ACV). Assuming your own insurance was paying, yes you would be responsible for the remainder since you still owe the bank that money. Basically the insurance pay-out with gap coverage will "zero" you out. Basically speaking you would only get money for another car if your car was already paid off. It sucks but that is the nature of the beast with car insurance.

mine looks just like your picture I have a release for it in my trunk but it does not lock when I lock my doors. is their a separate fuse for it maybe???, if that isn't the problem how would I go about trying to fix it?

It could be the wires are disconnected. I'm not sure if those can be accessed by pulling back the trunk carpeting on the drivers side or not, but it'* worth a check. If it isn't a fuse or the wiring, it'* possible that the actuator is either froze up or blown. I'm not sure of the P/N on the actuator, but your local GM dealership should be able to furnish that info for you upon request.

thanks for your help I'll check around in the trunk and pull some fuses and let you know what I find. It'* not really a big deal I just was wondering why it never has locked, that one is just a minor problem but hopefully not as hard to fix compared to my sunroof since it happens to brake today now only one side of it moves and the other seems froze and their looks as if nothing is jammed in their either. Guess I am going to have to start another topic getting help for that problem

i looked around in the trunk today and all the wires are hooked up and the fuses look fine. locking my doors has no effect on my gas door no movement at all back their. I would guess now that you are right on point with saying its a bad actuator (does anyone know the part number for the actuator?)
Unless anyone knows something else to try?

My '04 SE doesn't have a locking gas door either. Not sure if SE'* would typically have this feature or not...